Where to buy the cheapest fruit and veg

publication date: Jan 23, 2012
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author/source: Nicola Mirams
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With figures showing we're spending less on fruit and veg how do you keep down the cost of eating healthily? In a re-run of an article she did for us a couple of years ago, former student Nicola Mirams shows how.

The prices are out of date but the message is the same. Supermarkets are not always cheapest.

Comparison on fruit and vegetables at five different shops in Durham on 12/01/08
These included the Indoor Market, an independent greengrocer, Iceland, Tesco Express and Marks and Spencer. (Not all the fruit and vegetables were sold in all the shops or sold in a quantity that was easy to compare (for example, apples were sold singly)

Broccoli: Market 0.89, Greengrocer, 0.69, Iceland £1, Tesco Express 0.98.
Cheapest: Market. Most expensive: Iceland.

Carrots (per kilo) Market 0.64p, Greengrocer: 0.79p, Iceland 0.75p, Tesco Express 0.54p, M & S:0.79p
Cheapest: Tesco Express. Most expensive: greengrocer and M & S

Apples: Market 0.59lb, Greengrocer: 0.79p a lb, Iceland: 25p each, Tesco Express: 32p each, M & S 0.45p
Difficult to compare as some apples were sold individually and some may have been bigger than others but the market looks cheapest.

Potatoes (per kilo): Market: 0.40p Greengrocer 0.42p, Iceland, 0.50p, Tesco Express (had run out), M & S 0.52p
Cheapest: Market. Most expensive: M & S

Cucumber: Market: 99p, Greengrocer: 89p,  Iceland £1, Tesco Express £1.04, M & S: 78p
Cheapest: Marks & Spencer, Most expensive: Tesco Express

Tomatoes (per lb) Market:£1.50 Greengrocer: 69p, Iceland £1 for six, Tesco Express 92p for six, M & S 99p for six
Again difficult to compare as some are sold in packs of six (likely to be less than one pound. The greengrocer looks like the best deal

White onions: Market: 86p kg, Greengrocer 64p kg, Iceland £1 a kg, Tesco Express: 46p each, M & S: 99p kg
Tesco's onions are sold individually but look the most expensive. The greengrocer's are the cheapest.

Peppers: Market: £1.50 lb, Greengrocer: £1.19 lb, Iceland: £1.50 for 3, Tesco Exress: 0.75 each, M & S 0.50 each.
If you only want one pepper there are some advantages in buying them individually but they obviously cost more pro rata. Tesco's look like the most expensive, the greengrocer's (which could be bought individually) look cheapest

Lettuce: Market: 99p, Greengrocer 69p, Iceland £1 for 300g, Tesco Express £1.13, M & S £1.18
Cheapest: Greengrocer. Most expensive: M & S

Bananas: Market: 59p lb, Greengrocer 49p lb, Iceland £1 for 7. Tesco Express, 19p each, M & S 45p a lb
Depends how big the bananas Tesco is selling are but looks as if they're priciest, and that M & S, surprise, surprise, is the cheapest.

Findings:

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